Cast, gags make for high comedy
Sudeikis, newcomer
break out in summer
laughfest ‘Millers’
BY PRESTON JONES
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

M

ultiplex summers
have long been the
province of lewd
comedies, stretching
back to the glory days of the ’80s.
The past few summers, however, have been home to ostensibly
funny movies forsaking fundamentals — interesting characters,
compelling stories, relatively
fresh takes on genre tropes —
and instead intent on going for
broke.
There are exceptions —
“Bridesmaids” memorably broke
the mold in 2011, and Seth MacFarlane’s “Ted” was rejuvenating
last year — but the recent majority of studios’ summertime sillies
have been trying way too hard.
Thankfully, “We’re the Millers”
falls into the exception category.
Anchored by breakout performances from Jason Sudeikis and
Will Poulter, “Millers” is a
raunchy, hilarious and ultimately
sweet-natured riff on the triedand-true road trip comedy.
Directed by Rawson Marshall
Thurber from a screenplay
stitched together by four credited
authors (Bob Fisher, Steve Faber,
Sean Anders and John Morris),

Inside
Percy Jackson is back at it in
sequel, 23

the film wastes little time establishing its straightforward premise.
Low-level pot dealer David
(Sudeikis) is robbed, and forced
by his friend and boss, Brad (Ed
Helms), to head south of the border and return an RV full of weed
over the Fourth of July weekend.
In order to blend in and avoid
suspicion from authorities, David
hits upon the idea of recruiting a
fake family: stripper neighbor
Rose (Jennifer Aniston), troubled
runaway Casey (Emma Roberts)
and awkward teen Kenny (Poulter).
The foursome sets off to
retrieve the marijuana, and all
manner of off-color hijinks occur
— including a horrifyingly memorable (and incredibly uncomfortable) spider bite.
As with “The Heat” earlier this
summer, “Millers” walks a tricky
tightrope between violent action
and gasp-inducing comedy, albeit
more successfully.
“We’re the Millers” is far more
concerned with its off-kilter
nuclear family than the stakes of
completing a drug deal, allowing
the story to unfold at a more
leisurely pace. The film sags in
places — at nearly two hours,
“Millers” could benefit from a few

MICHAEL TACKETT / WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT

From left, Emma Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis and Will Poulter appear in “We’re the
Millers,” an at-times raunchy but generally playful comedy perfect for summer.

trims here and there — but
shines when the cast, fueled by
tremendous chemistry, is allowed

to cut loose and tear into a series
of juicy comic setpieces.
Sudeikis, in his first film since

rganizers of an ambitious
new festival are hoping to
make Kern County a magnet for promising filmmakers,
but the first step is to put the
word out about getting submissions in.
The inaugural Outside the Box
Bakersfield Film Festival, scheduled for Nov. 8-10, is seeking
entries in four film tracks:
• films made by or about people with developmental disabilities
• America’s veterans and their
stories of survival and recovery
• spiritual-based films that
inspire and awaken love and
compassion

• mainstream independent
films.
Within those overall tracks are
four subcategories: feature/documentaries, shorts, music videos
and animation. The winners of
each of the four overall categories

will win $1,250, and trophies will
be awarded to several runnersup.
“This is the first attempt of a
larger-scale film festival than anything Kern County has seen in the
past,” said Rob Meszaros, who is
handling marketing for the event.
“We have a city big enough to
support something like this.”
The festival was the brainchild
of Rick Davis, retired Kern County
film commissioner and president
of the Fox Foundation, Meszaros
said.
The Fox had long wanted to
host a large film festival, so Davis
reached out to a couple of established local film organizations,
such as Inclusion Films, which

works with the developmentally
disabled and is run by Joey Travolta.
Travolta, coordinator of the disabilities track of the competition,
will bestow an award in memory
of his nephew, Jett — the son of
actors John Travolta and Kelly
Preston — who had autism and
died at age 16 in 2009 after suffering a seizure.
Handling the spiritual track of
the festival is Joe Brown, organizer of the annual Bakersfield
Christian Youth Film Festival.
Davis and entertainment industry executive Bob Bender will
oversee the veterans and mainstream independent film categories.

The festival weekend will feature 42 screenings, according to a
media release that lists an array
of activities, including parties,
workshops and a trade show. All
the action will take place in
downtown Bakersfield, centering
around screenings at the Fox
complex and the nearby Spotlight
Theatre. Tejon Ranch has put up
about $15,000 for sponsorship.
Filmmakers who submit their
work by Aug. 19 will get a break
on the entry fees, which range
from $10 to $60. The final submission deadline is Sept. 9.
Screening ticket prices vary. For
more information on the festival
or to submit a film, visit bakersfieldfilmfest.com.

he was the cellist with the
bright auburn hair and
even brighter smile. Karen
Blockley, co-principal cellist and a member of the Bakersfield Symphony for more than 40
years, died Monday morning at
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital.
Blockley, who had just celebrated her 55th birthday, was fighting
an aggressive cancer, according
to her husband, Ted, and the
treatments were further impairing her health. Blockley said his
wife recently contracted pneumonia and was admitted to the
hospital.
“They treated her for that, but
there was just nothing left — it
just knocked the stuffing out of
her,” he said.
Mrs. Blockley is survived by her
husband; two children, Anna and
Ricky, and their respective families, including granddaughter,
Cecilia.
“More than anything else, she
loved her family,” Blockley said.
But there was one more member of the family: the cello.
“She wove that into just about
everything,” her husband said.
That “everything” included her
role as a wife and mother, performer, and also her roles as a
business owner and educator.
Born Karen Shively, the Bakersfield native first encountered the
cello while in grade school when
a teacher suggested
she learn the
instrument. She
began studying
privately with
Beverly Lam-

“I prayed and
prayed that she
would join me
again. But now she
will be right
beside me in spirit.
I’m sure of that.”
— Diane Malecki, of Karen Blockley, with whom Malecki shared first
chair in cello at the Bakersfield
Symphony Orchestra since the
1989-90 season.

bourne, a member of what was
then known as the Kern Philharmonic. The student joined the
orchestra’s cello section as an
eighth-grader, eventually earning
the co-principal chair of the cello
section. She remained with the
orchestra until the middle of the
2012-13 season, when her illness
forced her to take a leave of
absence
“Most of the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra musicians grew
up here, studied here; they often
joined the orchestra through their
teachers,” said BSO conductor
John Farrer. “Karen was definitely
a member of that family — she
kind of grew up in the orchestra.”
Beyond her abilities as a musician, Farrer praised his friend’s
character, noting her work ethic,
professionalism, reliability and
versatility. But there was something more.
“Always the thing that sticks in
my mind is her intelligence and
always a positive, happy attitude,” Farrer said. “I can’t ever
remember Karen ever being in a
bad mood.”

Susan Scaffidi CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

Regular BSO audience members will recall the cellist with the
head of bright auburn hair, sitting
next to principal cellist Diane
Malecki, with whom she shared
the first chair stand since the
1989-90 season.
“We just enjoyed playing
together so much; it was pure
joy,” said Malecki, whose friendship with Blockley spanned an
entire lifetime — as high school
classmates, cello students under
Lambourne, as well as orchestra
members.
“It was an honor to have her as
my stand partner — not only as a
friend, but as a wonderful cellist,”
Malecki said.
“I prayed and prayed that she
would join me again,” Malecki
said, after Blockley took her leave
of absence. “But now she will be
right beside me in spirit. I’m sure
of that.”
Even her career in business can
be traced to her apprenticeship in
music. Mrs. Blockley, who owned
Air and Sea Travel, learned the
trade while working part time for
Lambourne Travel Agency, the
family business of her cello
teacher.
“What (her career) ultimately
allowed her to do was give her the
freedom to do more music,”
Blockley said.
Family trips often included
music and the cello, whether
continuing her own education by
attending chamber music workshops in Oregon, an international
cello exposition in Russia with
Mstislav Rostropovich, or even
arranging a trip to Italy to include
a stopover at Cremona, where the
famed Stradivarius instruments
were made.
“She came home with a cello,”
her husband noted.
At home, the cellist continued

PHOTO COURTESY OF BAKERSFIELD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

This undated photo shows Karen Blockley at a rehearsal of the
Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra. The co-principal cellist played
with the orchestra for more than 40 years.

to stretch herself as a performer,
playing in several string quartets
and other chamber groups, performing both established works
and new compositions. She was
the first call for most musicians,
making herself available for any
kind of musical event, often for
little or no pay. When I was pursuing my master’s in choral conducting, she did me the great
kindness of performing for my
recital as well as numerous other
performances, and always
brought with her a sunny attitude, profound musical insight
and lovely playing.
Mrs. Blockley was a dedicated
teacher as well. She was part of
the adjunct faculty in the CSUB
music department, had a private
cello studio, and in what may be
her most enduring musical project, served as president of the
Bakersfield Youth Symphony
Orchestra.

Working up a sweat in the moonlight
BY MIRANDA WHITWORTH
Contributing writer

Believing moonlight makes every activity better — especially exercise, especially in
August — organizers of the Howlin’ at the
Moon Fun Run are hoping hundreds of
joggers will hit the pavement to raise funds
for the Bakersfield Police Department’s K9
unit.
The run — which varies in distance
from two to 10 kilometers — takes place
Saturday, Aug. 17, at the Park at River Walk,
and discounts are available for early registration.

Police Sgt. Mike Hale said the idea for
the moonlight event was hatched 12 years
ago by the department’s K9 handlers.
“We would go out on the river bottom
sometimes at night and there was a time
we were out and the moon was full. It was
surprising how lit up everything was and I
think someone in the unit suggested it
would be a great idea to have the run at
night."
Though the moon won’t be entirely full
on Aug. 17, according to moon-phases.net,
there should be plenty of light for the 800
to 900 runners Hale is expecting, a turnout

he said confirms how willing Kern County
residents are to support a good cause.
“There are so many runs, so many charity events out there. The community is so
great, people always show up and there is a
great turnout for everything. People love to
help raise money and donations. We are
grateful for that.”
While the event is about having fun and
beating the August heat, the proceeds are
vital for funding training opportunities and
buying equipment. But, Hale said, one of
the best ways the money is put to use is
with community events.

When I last interviewed her,
she was cataloguing the orchestral library of the late conductor
Richard Rintoul. The teacher was
overjoyed that she had been able
to acquire Rintoul’s library of
some 700 orchestra scores and
parts, and had spent an entire
summer organizing the library so
it could serve the student musicians.
“She loved the teaching,” her
husband said. “She was always
glad to see students excel.”
Karen Blockley will be missed
by her family and by her extended family of fellow musicians and
students, not just for the music
she made, but for the happy person she was.
Funeral services are pending.
Susan Scaffidi, a regular Californian
contributor, is an accomplished musician who has a long family history
with the Bakersfield Symphony
Orchestra.

“We do a lot of demonstrations for the
public. We like to go to schools or the
Kiwanis Club and things of that nature.
When we get out with the kids we like to
have stuff to give away like stickers and
pencils. So the money from this run goes
to help us with that.”

16

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, August 8, 2013

Eye Street
“I started doing stand-up in college for Top Ramen money and
to impress girls. It got me a lot of Top Ramen.”
— Joe Alaniz, Bakersfield comedian

Comedy in Bakersfield?
It’s a funny business
Comedians here, but fans,
venues a little more scarce
BY MATT MUNOZ
Californian staff writer
mmunoz@bakersfield.com

rying to pull a serious answer
from a pair of comedians isn’t
easy, but what fun would that
be anyway?
For aspiring funnymen Danny Hill
and Joe Alaniz of Bakersfield, holding
a serious tone while engaging even
the smallest audience is comedy poison, a situation to be avoided at all
costs.
At least that’s the plan that will
guide the duo tonight, when they take
the stage at Prospect Lounge inside
the Padre Hotel for an evening of live
stand-up comedy.
“If I don’t perform at least three
times a week, I start to tell jokes to my
6-year-old niece. Most of it goes over
her head,” said Alaniz, 27. “I will start
telling jokes to telemarketers who call
me. They are paid to listen, and I’m
not cutting the checks, so win-win.”
Alaniz has been making the standup rounds after getting the bug during his starving college years at Fresno State.
“I started doing stand-up in college
for Top Ramen money and to impress
girls. It got me a lot of Top Ramen.”
Rimshot.
Hill, 33, started his fledgling standup career in high school — to decidedly mixed reviews.
“One of my history teachers ran for
local office and lost. So at the next
pep rally, I was leading and I
addressed it in front of the school.
‘Mr. Robinson, I heard you ran for
City Council; I voted for you. But then
again you’re my teacher, so I’m not as
educated as the people who didn’t.’
He didn’t laugh, and I got suspended.”
Ouch.
That early desperation for laughs
may have made them the butt of their
own jokes, but today both have garnered new laughs from the stage to
the airwaves.
Early risers know Hill as host of the
KLLY 95.3 morning show, and Alaniz
has been instrumental in helping cultivate the local comedy scene for
some time now. Together, they’ve
forged a bond in their mission to put
Bakersfield’s burgeoning stand-up
scene on the map, organizing shows
such as the Padre showcase.

“Not a lot of people know there is
comedy in Bakersfield,” said Alaniz. “I
have run into fellow Bakersfield
natives at shows in L.A., and they
have had no idea they could have
seen one of the acts (me) right down
the street from them.”
But where visibility among the general public is low, the camaraderie
and support among fellow comics
runs deep.
“They call each other for gigs,
share jokes and constantly promote,”
Hill said. “Over the last three years
I’ve seen an increase in comics and
shows in Bakersfield. Business owners
realize it’s cheap, easy and packs an
early drinking crowd.”
Bakersfield’s large venues — the
Rabobank and Fox — regularly compete to satisfy the city’s appetite for
humor, booking big names like Jerry
Seinfeld, George Lopez, Ron White,
Mike Epps, Gabriel Iglesias and Jo
Koy. Alaniz would love for smaller

clubs to start thinking about jumping
on board.
“I wish local venues would get
behind comedy. There is potential to
have a great scene locally. There are
not a lot of comedians because there
is no stage time, and there is no stage
time because there are not a lot of
comedians.”
While the problem of finding a free
stage with one microphone doesn’t
sound like a big production, it’s not
as easy as it sounds to convince club
owners to roll the dice on any live
entertainment.
“There needs to be a place for people who are interested in doing comedy to go and try it out in a no-pressure fun environment. Maybe I need
to be the person to open a place for
people like me.”
A few local venues — Prime Cut,
On the Rocks, Jerry’s Pizza — have
opened their stages for some midweek comedy stints. And if comedians can’t get stage time in Bakersfield, there’s always the Hollywood
Improv, Jon Lovitz Comedy Club and
Pasadena Ice House, which are
always on the hunt for the next Pryor,
Tosh or Lopez. Hill and Alaniz make
out-of-town open-mic pilgrimages
regularly.
“I was emceeing a show at the Ventura Harbor Comedy Club once, and I
go on stage to do a few jokes and
intro the next comedians and it starts
Please see COMEDY / 24

he challenge of turning a
complete story into a stage
play that lasts only 15 to 20
minutes seems like quite a task to
me, but at least six local writers
were up for the challenge.
The playwrights, and of course
the audiences, will get to see their
scripts come to life for the first
time this weekend for Bakersfield
Community Theatre’s 26th annual One Act Festival
“It’s all brand new and all fresh
— it’s all something people
haven’t seen before,” said Janice
French in a recent phone conversation. She and Edward French,
BCT’s executive director, are producers of the festival.
Conflict is important in any
drama and it’s not easy condensing that into a short play. Yet several of the authors have managed
to do that.
A great example is “The End …
?” by actor Norman Colwell — a
familiar face in shows at BCT and
Stars — in his first attempt at
playwriting. It concerns a husband and wife who are direct
opposites in terms of their philosophy. (Now there’s a combination
that’s sure to produce a conflict.)
In an email, Colwell explained
the reason for the unusual punctuation in the title and its relation
to the play itself.
“The title of the play ends in a
question mark because the audience must determine the outcome of the play based on their
personal experiences,” Colwell
said. “I wanted to have contrasting ideas and personalities displayed by the two actors in my
play and the end can only be
decided by your personal
upbringing. Who knows what lies
ahead in our future? Are you
‘open’ to any possibility?”
Although Colwell would have
liked to direct his own play, he
asked Deva Wiloth to do it since
he’s in rehearsals for “Damn Yankees,” which opens Aug. 16 at
Stars.
Featured
actors in
“The End
… ?” are
Elizabeth
Nager and
Austin Still.
Based on

“Fiddler on the Roof Jr.” will be performed at 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday at Harvey Auditorium.

French’s description it appears
that Porter Jamison has managed
to put plenty of tension into his
“Hanging About,” and to make it
funny as well.
“A person has just been let go
and is hanging — literally — outside the window of the company
building,” she said. “It’s a statement on corporate rules and how
everything is either black or
white.”
Serious though it sounds,
French, the director, assures me
it’s definitely a comedy. The cast
includes Tyler Palo, Shamaria
Smith and Morning Miller.
On the other hand, “A Search
for Love in Fast Forward” by
Tammy Lynde deals with a sensitive personal issue.
“It’s about a transgender person, and I know it’s very personal
to Tammy,” French said. “She’s
also directing it.”
Lynde’s cast is made up of
Katie Irwin, Palo, Austin Still,
Goose Scott, Sheila Robinson and
Deva Wiloth.
Rounding out the festival play
list are “Cliché Café,” written by
Mike Bedard with Deanna
Rodgers, director and actors
Dawn Tyack, Joey Bedard and
Xian Fredericksen; “Dating with
Dad,” written and directed by

“The Little Mermaid” will be performed at 7 tonight and 1 p.m.
Saturday at Gaslight Melodrama.

Fredericksen, with Andy Tyack
and Kelsey Galpin in the cast; and
a second one-act by Jamison
titled “If I Didn't Care,” directed
by Alexis Philippi, and featuring
Katherine Bunge, Drew Hallum
and James Rose.
Final performances are at 8
p.m. Aug. 16 and 17.
Opening its 87th season — BCT
was founded in 1927 — with the
One Act Festival is one of several
changes made in the past three
months. Traditionally the festival
has been held in June and is the
final offering for the season.
Artistic director Kenneth
Whitchard announced the shift in
May, saying it was necessary
because of various upgrades and

repairs being done to both the
interior and exterior of the playhouse.
Season passes can be purchased at the theater box office or
online by visitingbakersfieldcommunitytheatrelive.com/3.html.
Price for the full season of seven
shows is $88, while a partial pass
for only four productions is $45.

‘Fiddler Jr.’ at Harvey
Although the “junior” version
of “Fiddler on the Roof” is condensed, the Bakersfield Music
Theatre production has all the
essentials, says Frank Sierra, the
director.
“It’s still the same beautiful
story, the same beautiful music

and it’s well-written for kids,” he
said. “And to see these kids take
on these serious matters is really
impressive.”
Especially, I would say, when
you consider that the “serious
matters” Sierra refers to took
place a century before the young
actors were born. The cast of 26
ranges in age from 7 to 16.
The original 1964 Broadway
musical by Joseph Stein is set in a
Russian village in 1905 and is the
story of a Jewish milkman named
Tevye (Jacob Chivington), his
wife, Golde (Ellie Quiroz) and
their family during a historic and
exceedingly harsh period of time.
Yet despite the fear and the
hardships, “Fiddler” is a poignant
story with a generous share of joy
and laughter.
“I love the story — the tradition
of the family, the changing of the
times,” said Sierra. A performing
arts teacher at Bessie Owens
Intermediate, a magnet school,
he devotes his summers to teaching in the Stars School of Performing Arts, whose students
make up the cast of “Fiddler.”
Sierra is also a notable dancer
and choreographer; his footwork
is evident in numerous scenes in
the current show.
“We do the Bottle Dance during the wedding scene and it’s
really fun to see these kids get up
there and balance the bottles on
their heads,” he said. “It’s kind of
Please see ARTS / 24

19

Thursday, August 8, 2013 The Bakersfield Californian

Eye Street

Has Bakersfield
made geek big time?
Second ‘con’ show
could be the proof
BY STEFANI DIAS
Californian assistant lifestyles editor
sdias@bakersfield.com

Y

ou know you’ve made it in
the collecting world when
your town is big enough to
justify more than one event a
year.
The first-ever Bakersfield Collector-Con — not to be confused
with a more established show
with a similar name — will bring
a slate of comics, toys, games,
costumed guests and more to
town Sunday.
Organizer Nick Avalos said this
event came out of the growing
demand among local collectors.
“I know a lot of the antiques
stores and the comic book
stores,” said Avalos, who owns the
19th Street Antique Mall. “One of
the main feedbacks I got is that
Bakersfield Comic-Con is just
once a year. Everyone was hoping
for another show.”
So Avalos decided to oblige
fans, getting a jump on Bakers-

Bakersfield
Collector-Con
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Holiday Inn, 3927
Marriott Drive
Admission: $3; free for children 7 and under and those
who come in costume; first
200 paid guests will receive
a free prize at the door.
Information: 932-1000 or
facebook.com/BakersfieldCollectorCon

field Comic-Con, scheduled for
Sept. 22.
“A lot of people don’t realize
that we have as many comic
stores as we have. ... This was just
to try it out. I was amazed at the
response I got (from vendors). It
was sold out in three weeks.”
Among the 20 vendors are
Leeters, Man Bites Dog Emporium, X-Tream Game Pit, Harper’s
Bizarre and Main Street Comics.
Avalos, who has been selling
comics for the past three years,
said most of the vendors offer a

mix of books and collectibles.
“In this type of business, you
get into both worlds. You get into
comics and, when you realize
there is a market for toys, you get
into toys.
“There are two (for the show)
that specialize in games, but they
also have comic books and they
have collectible toys. They get
into everything they know in this
business.”
Based on word of mouth and
flier distribution, Avalos said he
expects a good turnout Sunday.
“They (vendors) do it because
they know there will be a ton of
people, and they will promote
their business.
“If you get 500 to 1,000 people
to the show, those are people that
are eventually going to come to
your store.”
Keeping things interesting will
be local company Iron Goblin,
which will display its line of elaborate masks at the show, and
local representatives from The
Twin Suns, a Star Wars club that
will have an information booth
and up to 10 members in full costume posing for photos.
Speaking of costumes, those
who dress up for Sunday’s event

PHOTO BY KRISTINA MAIN

Iron Goblin Masks will be one of the guests/vendors at the first
Bakersfield Collector-Con, which takes place Sunday at the Holiday
Inn on Marriott Drive.

not only get in free but may also
enter the costume contest. The
prize for the top look — decided
by the audience — is $50 in cash.
Guests have another chance to
win at the Relay for Life fundraising raffle. Vendors contributed
items to lots, which will be raffled
off each hour during the show.
Tickets are $1 each, and guests
must be present to win.
Even though the local Collector-Con and Comic-Con are just
about six weeks apart, Avalos
said, there’s enough business for
both, including from his family.
“My kids have sold at ComicCon and they will continue. ... We

go out there (to Bakersfield
Comic-Con) and set them up,
and they sell their toys and their
comic books. Sometimes they
buy a little more than they sell.”
Already planning for next year,
Avalos said he’d like to allow for
some time between events to
make sure vendors and attendees
can get the most out of both
cons.
“Next year we’re going to focus
on a much bigger scale, to focus
on making it affordable. If I can
allow a family to get in for under
$20, that means they have more
money in their pocket to spend at
the show.”

Club Heresy’s doctrine is sound
Alternative dance
nights return
Children of the night could be
heard happily flapping their bat
wings all over Bakersfield once
news hit that popular local goth
dance night Club Heresy would
be rising from the grave.
A monthly gathering for fans of
all things alternative, Club Heresy
caters to those who dare to dance
on the wildly darker side of life.
Originally held downtown inside
Riley’s Backstage, the themed
club night went on hiatus in February once the venue made the
announcement it would be
remodeling.
Rather than put up with the
construction headache, Mike
Fowler, the specialty club’s
founder, decided to relocate to
Replay Lounge, where it returns
on Saturday.
“We stopped hosting at Riley’s
because I planned on taking a
hiatus from promoting while they
remodeled. It was a good plan.
When I was ready to start back up
again, Riley’s wasn’t finished
remodeling yet. I had been considering Replay for about a year
now, but Riley’s had been so good
to Heresy that I didn’t want to
change anything at the time.”
Last month’s Replay Lounge
debut was an overwhelming success, according to Fowler. Though
the venue typically hosts nightclub dancing for the young, glitzy,
singles bar crowd, the club was
transformed into an
elegant evening
in Transylvania
with special
lighting and
decor brought in
to pick up
where
the club

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHOIRS

Choirs vocalist Joel Brewer (standing) and producer Josh Mallit
work on the band’s second CD at San Diego’s Studio West.

left off.
“The response to the new location has been 100 percent positive. The attendees love the new
location with all of its room and
growth potential. The venue
owners also love the Heresy people.”
Additions to Heresy at Replay
include an ample dance and
lounging area, 18-and-over
admittance, two rooms of music
with dance floors featuring guest
go-go dancers, and deejays spinning all things goth-related: dark
wave, industrial, punk and more,
against a multimedia explosion of
screen projections to boggle the
senses.
“Heresy has always been about
all manners of alternative selfexpression, without fear of judgment. Newcomers can look forward to enjoying people in their
creative outfits.”
Live music will resume at

Heresy as well. In the past, the
club has hosted veteran death
rock act 45 Grave, local acts Burning Image and Funeral Club. This
weekend Bay Area industrial act
RetConStruct and Deep Drain
from Los Angeles will appear in
the main bar area.
Club Heresy nights will be once
a month, rotating between the
first and second Saturday. For
specific dates and news, check
their website at heresyentertainment.com.
Club Heresy begins at 10 p.m.
Saturday inside Replay Lounge,
4500 Buck Owens Blvd. Admission is $10. Ages 18 and over
admitted.

Free Choirs show
Out to smash any early talk of a
sophomore slump, Bakersfield
band Choirs will be showcasing
music from their upcoming new
CD, with a free show for fans

Matt Munoz is editor of Bakotopia.com, a sister website of
The Californian that devotes itself to promoting Bakersfield’s art
scene. Matt’s column appears every Thursday in Eye Street.

tonight at On the Rocks.
It’s been just over a year since
the release of the group’s wellreceived debut, “We All Need Closure,” which put the band on a
brief tour and onto semi-regular
show bills in Bakersfield and
around California. Following a
few more promotional treks, the
band retreated to the lab to begin
work on their follow-up.
“The album is not yet complete,” said Choirs vocalist Joel
Brewer of the seven-track collection, which has a working title of
“USALKT.”
“The show was initially put
together for an out-of-town band
called Lightsystem and then we
all decided, ‘Free show, why
not?’”
As they did for their debut, the
band recorded most of the project in San Diego, this time at Studio West, where such acts as
Blink-182, Patti Labelle and Greg
Allman have all recorded. The
band reteamed with collaborator
and producer Josh Mallit.
“It was a long and arduous
process, but it made it easier
when we were welcomed by their
staff; better yet, surrounded by a
litany of previously recorded
albums lining the halls. When
you’re walking into an unknown

environment for seven days,
there’s a wonderful relief when
you’re made to feel at home in
the first few minutes. To date, we
have recorded all of the instruments and are working on finding
a studio in Bakersfield to finish
recording the vocals.”
Hoping for a winter release,
Brewer is working feverishly with
his bandmates: drummer Cass
Faulkenberry, guitarist Dax
Dominguez, bassist Michael
Aguilar and guitarist Tyler Slayton.
“I can initially put it this way:
It’s difficult to explain feelings
when you’re going through them,
but the common conversation
we’ve all had when working these
songs out and when listening,
post recording, is ‘Are we being
less aggressive on this one?’
Which is always followed by an
agreed response of, ‘No, this is
what’s coming out of us this time
around.’”
Also appearing are bands the
Volume, Lightsystem and the
Nature.
Tonight’s showtime is 9 p.m.
Free admission. On the Rocks is
located at 1517 18th St. For more
information call 327-7625 or visit
facebook.com/choirsofficial.
Please see LOWDOWN / 24

When vice is nice:
Gaming for charity
BY MELISSA PEAKER-WHITTEN
Contributing writer

I

f you’re tired of playing blackjack on
your phone but can’t make it to Vegas,
the Bakersfield Association of Realtors
intends to bring Vegas to you.
The second annual Casino Night, hosted
by the professional organization to benefit
a local food bank, is 6-10 p.m. Aug. 15 and
offers a buffet-style dinner provided by
Hodel’s along with dancing to the live
music of The Hit Machine.
Among the games of chance offered at
the 20 tables will be blackjack, craps and
Roulette.
“It’s a very high-energy atmosphere,”
said Claudia Bugarin, the member services
manager for the Bakersfield Association of
Realtors.
The Bakersfield Association of Realtors
has partnered with Golden Empire Gleaners for more than 20 years on fundraising
events to stock the shelves at the food
bank, which has served the community
since 1985.
According to the organization’s website,
the nonprofit feeds an average of 18,000
people per month using donations from

Kern County growers, grocery stores and
food processors. Last year, the Gleaners
served approximately 200,000 people
throughout Kern County, according to Pam
Fiorini, executive director. On average, the
group distributes between 1.5 million to 2
million pounds of food per year.
“We’re largely an agricultural food bank,
so the majority of the food is fresh fruits
and vegetables,” Fiorini said.
The $25 price of admission includes dinner (choice of tri-tip or lemon herb-roasted chicken, as well as salad, fruit, rolls and
dessert). Game tickets and tickets for the
raffle will be for sale at the event.
Tickets for the event are available for
purchase at the Bakersfield Association of
Realtors office.

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lately.
Indy car racing isn’t even
worth discussing, and
NASCAR has always been
boring, with big heavy cars
turning left all day. There
was a time when the
NASCAR drivers would try
to wreck each other once in
a while, but now the rednecks have
given way to
young men
from
states
above the
MasonDixon
line,

What are your
current obsessions?
Excited about a local
band, event or concert?
Is there a new book,
record, band or TV
show that you’re
obsessed with? Share
with our readers by
emailing jself@bakersfield.com.

and they don’t seem to care
much for vengeance at all.
Formula 1 has the best
equipment and top-notch
drivers, but the season is
short, and the drivers are
all billionaires with impossibly hot girlfriends and

unpronounceable names.
The American Le Mans
Series, or ALMS, has great
drivers, interesting cars and
runs on the best tracks, but
they don’t even get in a race
a month, so it’s hard to follow. WRC Rally has the best
drivers in the world and
crazy-awesome cars, but
again, there’s little coverage
in the U.S., and the drivers
race the clock, so there’s no
wheel-to-wheel action
there. I’ve always wished
that these cars could race in
a proper format. Well, as it
turns out, the folks who put
on the X-Games wished the
same thing.
In case you missed it, last
weekend the X-Games

Scott Cox is host of "First Look with Scott Cox," which airs from
7 to 10 a.m. weekdays at bakersfield.com and KERN-AM, 1180.

were held in L.A. While I
don’t much care about
skateboarding or BMX
stunts, the rallycross event
was the hit of the weekend.
Rallycross takes cars much
like WRC Rally cars — light,
compact with all-wheel
drive — and boosts the
horsepower to a near-comical 650. The result is
insanely fast racing over
varying surfaces.
Rallycross arrives just in
time, because young people, especially teenage
boys, seem to be losing
interest in auto racing, and
that’s too bad. But rallycross gives generation
ADHD what they like: wild
paint jobs, rock star drivers
and big speed, all in a contained, spectator-friendly
environment. It even
throws in a bit of drifting,
which is easily the dumbest form of motorsport
ever.
The first time I ever saw
rallycross was in Las Vegas
at an exhibition race.
Seemed like a cool idea at
the time, but I never
thought it would catch on.
How wrong I was. Social
media outlets like Twitter
and Instagram reported
more than 3 million hits
just during the race Sunday.
That means young hipster
types are tuning in, and
that’s a good thing. That
traffic will draw advertisers
in, which will generate
more cash for more cars
and drivers. This thing
could be huge.
Rallycross has a long way
to go to pull NASCAR-type
numbers. But with
NASCAR fans dying out
from a combination of congestive heart failure and
mule-kicking accidents, the

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

John Fullbright is a Grammy-nominated singer
from Oklahoma.

next generation of race fans
are getting what they want:
something new.
In the meantime, check
your local listings or
YouTube, and give rallycross a look. In a few years
you won’t have to look
hard to find it.

John Fullbright
I have a new favorite
singer-songwriter, which is
rare, because I’ve all but
given up on looking for
them anymore. Nowadays
we have a glut of wannabes
cropping up from suburbs
all over the country. They’re
young, good-looking and
woefully untalented, but
that’s what music fans are
into lately.
I got a call from a buddy
who owns a giant Americana station in Texas. He
asked me if I’d heard the
new record by John Fullbright. I don’t get stumped
a lot in these situations, but
the truth was I hadn’t
heard the kid’s new album.
I told him as much, and
asked him to send me a
copy of it when he got
around to it. He was obviously gravely disappointed
in my oversight, and told
me to get it on iTunes right

then.
I politely asked what the
rush was, and he told me
that if I didn’t love it, he
would buy me dinner at
Friesenhaus restaurant
next year when I was in
town. Last time we ate
there, we ran up a hefty tab,
mostly because Monty
Byrom was with us, and
that guy can stick away the
groceries. But it sounded
like a solid bet to me. Five
minutes later, it was cued
up on the iPod. The album
is called “From the Ground
Up,” and I have to say that
it lived up to the hype.
How good is John Fullbright? Well, he’s one of
the most requested artists
in Texas country, and he’s
from Oklahoma. That says
a lot. Texans like their talent home-grown, and
they love this guy. And so
do I.
He was born a stone’s
throw from the birthplace
of Woody Guthrie, as a
matter of fact. The album
starts out with a song called
“Gawd Above,” and if
you’re not hooked by the
end of it, I’ll eat my hat.
This kid writes songs like
he’s been at it for 50 years,
like a young John Hiatt or
Guy Clark. He’s got no
business having that kind
of depth at 25. As you listen
to this record, you keep
waiting for a dud, but it
never appears.
If you miss real country,
or just want to hear music
made by a truly gifted upand-coming Americana
artist, give this kid a listen.
All I know is, when I take
my friends to the Friesenhaus, I’m buying.
But not for Monty. He’s
on his own.

23

Thursday, August 8, 2013 The Bakersfield Californian

Eye Street

‘Percy Jackson’ sequel is lost at sea
Adventure movie lacks the fun,
imagination it desperately needs
BY JEN CHANEY
Special to The Washington Post

“Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,” the
second film based on Rick Riordan’s
immensely popular books about a dyslexic
boy who discovers he’s a demigod, may
make some moviegoers feel like they’ve
stepped into an actual Greek myth — one
that banishes them to the underworld for
nearly two hours.
Well, maybe not quite the underworld,
since a trip down there presumably wouldn’t feature droll quips from Stanley Tucci
and Nathan Fillion, who play small but
enjoyable supporting roles in this desperately-trying-to-be-epic adventure. But
even likable actors can’t obscure the fact
that, holy gods on Mount Olympus, this
thing is a slog, a movie that dutifully hits its
plot points involving prophecies and
fleeces without evoking a whiff of spirit or
imagination.
It’s a shame that the millions of readers
who fell in love with Riordan’s classicmeets-contemporary children’s stories
have been handed such limp adaptations
of the material. The first, 2010’s “Percy
Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning
Thief” — directed by Chris Columbus, who
leeched some but not all of the life out of
the first two Harry Potter movies — was
respectable but dull, while “Percy Jackson:
Sea of Monsters,” as directed by Thor
Freudenthal (“Diary of a Wimpy Kid”), is
both dull and awkwardly executed. It’s less
a theatrical release than a Disney Channel

special that got dressed up in CGI clothes
and was shoved into a multiplex.
Like its predecessor, this “Percy” sends
its teen hero, played by the likable Logan
Lerman, on a quest, this time one that
requires him to obtain the coveted Golden
Fleece in order to restore life to a dying tree
that protects Camp Half-Blood from evil
forces. (Camp Half-Blood, for those who
missed the first movie or the books, is the
training facility/safe haven for offspring of
one Greek god parent and one mere mortal. That includes Percy, son of a human
mom, and Poseidon.)
Operation Fleece Pick-up inevitably puts
Percy and his band of Zeussian friends in
contact with (duh) some massive beasts
beneath the sea. It also briefly zips them
through the District of Columbia — or
rather Vancouver with a digitally inserted
U.S. Capitol jammed in the middle of it —
in what qualifies as one of the most laughably inaccurate cinematic portrayals of our
nation’s capital in the history of moviedom.
The special effects look clunky and unrealistic, whether they involve depicting the
mammoth maw that is Charybdis or the
single eye on the forehead of Tyson (Douglas Smith), a cyclops and half-brother to
Percy who makes his first appearance here.

PHOTO BY MURRAY CLOSE

Logan Lerman in “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,” a movie that is a slog.

Perhaps recognizing that the eye looks a
little off (or lacking the budget to make it
look on all the time), the filmmakers frequently mask it with a pair of sunglasses.
The result: the moppy-headed fellow son
of Poseidon spends most of the movie
looking like Brendan Fraser in “Encino
Man.”
But even Tyson is more pleasant-looking
than the cab-driving Gray Sisters (Mary
Birdsong, Yvette Nicole Brown and Missi
Pyle), who also share a single eye but spew

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groan-inducing lines (“Oh no, we didn’t!”)
that confirm that even the attempts at
comedy in “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” can’t hit the right notes.
Well, that’s not entirely true. Fillion gets
the one genuinely funny piece of dialogue
in the movie, but it’s one that fans of his
old TV show “Firefly” are most likely to get.
Presumably, they won’t be coming to this
movie. And, in case this wasn’t clear, fans
of the Percy Jackson books shouldn’t bother either.

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24

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, August 8, 2013

Eye Street
LOWDOWN: CONTINUED FROM 20

Matt’s picks
Atlas Genius, 7 p.m. today at B
Ryder’s, 7401 White Lane. All ages,
$12, 397-7304.
This weekend’s Outside Lands festival in San Francisco may be sold
out, but many bands slated to appear
have opted to add some one-off
appearances en route to Golden Gate
Park. One such act is the Australian
brother duo of Atlas Genius, making a
rare stop into B Ryder’s. Their 2012
single, “Trojans,” can still be heard in
regular rotation on top college
playlists. Also appearing is Los Angeles quintet Cayucas.
Return of the ’90s Cover Show,
9 p.m. Friday at Sandrini’s, 1918
Eye St., $5, 322-8900. It was an era of
grunge, flannel, emo and nu-metal
music, but for Bakersfield musicians
Salvador Galindo, Pablo Alaniz,
Zachary Spier and Jason Blakely, it
was a prime time for teen self-discovery, zits, girls and first gigs. Not sure

COMEDY: CONTINUED FROM 16

raining ‘boos,’” recalled Alaniz. “I
could barely hear myself because they
were booing so loud. I started to
think, ‘Was I really that bad?’ When I
got off stage I realized that I went on
stage with a 49ers hat, and the show
sold a ton of tickets to a Raiders
booster club. It was relieving to know
they were not booing my comedy, just
my hat.”
As the host of his own morning
radio show, Hill understands he has a
rare opportunity to test new material
in an environment open to improvisation; still, there’s a downside when
the communication is one-way.
“If a joke bombs on the radio, I’ll

ARTS: CONTINUED FROM 18

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rings in a wide assortment of textures, finishes
and colors. Some feature Diamonds, Gemstones.
Starting
as low as

a contest to see who can keep theirs
on the longest.”
Tevye’s five daughters are played by
Emily Kopp, Britta Lowry, Jordan
Whitehead, Sophia Resolme and
Natalie Ochoa.
Others in supporting roles include
Nyoko Brown as Yente, the matchmaker; Avery Hansen as Motel, the
tailor; Logan Burdick, a radical student; Colin Pickering as Laser Wolf, a
prospective bridegroom; and Abigail
Resolme as Golde’s dead grandmother.
Char Gaines is vocal coach. Cast

PHOTO BY FRANK-MADDOCKS

Australian alt-rock duo Atlas Genius appear at B Ryder’s tonight.

what their set list will be, but you can
expect a lot of “That’s my song!”
heard in the crowd. For those eager to
reminisce about terrestrial radio’s last

hurrah before the arrival of robot programming, MySpace and hipsters,
pack up the car with your best mates
and get your sing-a-long on.

never know. If I’m on stage you will
know instantly. The radio audience is
mixed with kids, moms, dads and so
forth. So you have to be very middle
of the road. On stage I can do what
ever I want. It’s very freeing.”
Fans of classic observational
Cosby-esque humor — which veers
occasionally into blue Carlin territory
— should expect similar styles from
Hill and Alaniz, who will be joined
this evening by comedians Eulalio
Magana and Joey Valenzuela.
“Joe (Alaniz) is hilarious and is the
reason I started comedy in Bakersfield. A funny guy and good friend,”
Hill said. “He is very smart and
doesn’t need much to shine. Joe

Valenzuela is a local boy that has
gone from newbie to experienced
comic in the last two years. He is very
raw and funny; his family and life is
what he pulls from, great to watch.
Eulalio is a very funny host with
straight-faced, dry humor that throws
the audience for a loop.”
Touched by Hill’s comments,
Alaniz was happy to reciprocate.
“Joey Valenzuela is also a Cincinnati Bengals fan. I guess comedy does
stem from tragedy. I am glad I do not
have to introduce Eulalio. His name
has too many vowels for my dialect.
Danny is really funny, too. He has the
voice for radio and the face for … I
am just going to stop here.”

members sing the songs live with a
recorded instrumental accompaniment. Dallas White serves as assistant
director, and Kathi Lowry did the costumes.

tion of the musical opened on July 27
and will have its final performances
this evening and Saturday.
Payton Meyer plays the part of the
red-haired mermaid, and Jack Prince,
the son of artistic director Michael
Prince and his wife, Jennifer, plays
Captain Slappy, one of the sailors in
the show.
“Jack’s been in every children's theater production we’ve done since he
was 3 years old,” Michael said. “I
actually got to play King Triton in
‘The Little Mermaid’ and it was a lot
of fun getting to share the stage with
him.”

‘Little Mermaid’
This charming, fantasy-like version
of a Hans Christian Andersen tale is
an adaptation, written by Kathryn
Schultz Miller.
It’s the story of a beautiful mermaid who longs to rise above the sea
and live on land.
Gaslight Melodrama’s summer
Children’s Theatre Workshop produc-

MILLERS: CONTINUED FROM 14

make his selfish, glib drug dealer
sympathetic, as well as humorous,
and suggests he could have a future
with more dramatic parts.
Aniston, continuing her foray into
racy comedic roles (after 2011’s “Horrible Bosses” and last year’s “Wanderlust”), finds nuance in what could
have been a thankless part. Roberts
and co-stars Helms, Nick Offerman
and Kathryn Hahn also turn in strong
work.
But no one else on screen comes
close to the performance delivered by

the British Poulter, who is all but
unknown to American audiences (he
was the lead in the little-seen 2007
gem “Son of Rambow”). His Kenny is
a figurative and literal punching bag

for almost every other character, but
Poulter conveys dignity and childlike
wonder at every turn, even during
some of the most outrageous
sequences.
It’s a terrific piece of acting — even
his spot-on rendition of TLC’s “Waterfalls” — and like Zach Galifianakis’
turn in the original “Hangover,” one
that will mark his arrival in Hollywood.
“We’re the Millers” arrives at a
familiar destination, but as summer
comedies go, the scenery along the
way is riotously, refreshingly funny.

25

Thursday, August 8, 2013 The Bakersfield Californian

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Cutting trees off the roof, setting traps, and even
putting out poison are only Band-Aids. Some
facts about Rats. According to the Center for
Disease Control rats, their droppings and urine
left behind can con-tribute to and cause allergies,
asthma, bacterial diseases, hantavirus, they also carry mites and fleas.
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tains,” 9 a.m. to noon Saturday,
Bakersfield Art Association Art
Center, 1817 Eye Street. $25. 2831376 or 869-2320.
Art Classes, in drawing, watercolor, oils, color theory, for beginners
and advanced, Bakersfield Art
Association Art Center, 1817 Eye
St. 869-2320.
The Art Shop Club, a quiet place
to paint, 9 a.m. to noon each
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, The
Art Shop, 1221 20th St. All mediums. New members and guests
welcome. 322-0544 or 832-8845.
Art for Healing program, classes that alleviate stress, resulting
from illness, or grief. All classes
are free but some suggest a
donation and are held at Mercy
Hospital, Truxtun Campus, Truxtun and A St. Visit mercybakersfield.org/art or to register, 6325357.